Many toys exist that simulate a companion that a child may play with. Conventional toys in this genre have been passive toys that do not move or make noise on their own. In order to improve the realism of companion toys, some have been designed to make a limited amount of noises and/or perform a limited amount of movements. Such play companions, however, typically cannot behave in an intelligent manner in which they naturally react to a child. Because some children may prefer to play with realistic toys, play companions that intelligently respond to input from a child may be desirable. Those play companions may require motion and/or positioning systems to direct the play companions to suitable targets, such as the child, another toy, and/or a base.
Examples of toys with motion and/or positioning systems include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,922,929; 3,130,803; 3,178,853; 3,308,577; 3,643,375; 3,742,507; 3,748,564; 3,812,929; 3,849,931; 3,867,786; 4,085,542; 4,232,865; 4,272,916; 4,627,511; 4,662,854; 4,679,152; 4,777,416; 4,828,525; 4,844,493; 4,846,297; 4,941,857; 4,987,349; 5,083,968; 5,141,464; 5,227,973; 5,324,225; 5,440,216; 5,471,192; 5,517,098; 5,554,914; 5,610,488; 5,630,743; 5,765,508; 5,892,350; 5,893,791; 6,007,401; 6,076,226; 6,102,957; 6,149,490; 6,171,172; 6,224,454; 6,225,615; 6,278,917; 6,389,329; 6,504,610; 6,532,404; 6,748,297; and 6,764,373; and International Publication No. WO 03/053533. The complete disclosures of the above patents and patent application are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.